Optimizing Temporal Resolution and Speech Recognition with Amplification

描述(由申请人提供)：本研究项目的目标是建立助听器研究中的时间分辨率数据的使用，以最终用于助听器配件。听力受损的成年人表现出比正常听力成年人更差的语音识别能力的一个原因可能是，当前的放大可能并不总是提供足够的途径来获得语音中的时间线索。目前的助听器装配方法试图最大限度地提高语音清晰度、语音可听度或恢复正常音量，但可能达不到这些目标。 结合时间分辨率的测量方法可能会改善语音识别。为了便于在配戴助听器时使用时间分辨率数据，该项目将首先考虑放大条件下的时间分辨率测量。这些数据将与听力敏感度正常的听众的时间分辨率测量结果进行比较。这种方法将允许我们测试当前助听器配戴方法的能力，以提供对时间线索的访问并恢复正常的时间分辨率。第二个目标是评估恢复正常时间分辨率以优化句子识别的有效性。我们的目标是深入了解什么时间分辨率可以用来优化语音理解。通过了解这些信息，助听器配件可以被优化，以提供对时间信息的访问；可能会改善听力损失听者的语音识别。 公共卫生相关性：拟议的研究与公共卫生相关，因为它解决了听力损失患者所经历的沟通困难。具体地说，本项目的目标是推进助听器放大的优化。

DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): The goal of this research project is to establish the use of temporal resolution data in hearing-aid research for eventual use in hearing-aid fittings. One reason adults with hearing loss exhibit poorer speech recognition than normal hearing adults might be that current amplification may not always provide sufficient access to the temporal cues in speech. Current hearing-aid fitting methods attempt to maximize speech intelligibility, speech audibility, or restore normal loudness but might fall short of those goals. Incorporating measures of temporal resolution could lead to improved speech recognition. To facilitate the use of temporal-resolution data in the fitting of hearing aids, this project will obain measures of temporal resolution under conditions of amplification for the first aim. These data will be compared to measures of temporal resolution obtained for listeners with normal-hearing sensitivity. This methodology will allow us to test the ability of current hearing-aid fitting methds to provide access to temporal cues and to restore normal temporal resolution. The second aim will evaluate the effectiveness of restoring normal temporal resolution to optimize sentence recognition. The objective is to gain insight into what measures of temporal resolution can be used to optimize speech understanding. By knowing this information, hearing-aid fittings could be optimized to provide access to temporal information; possibly leading to improved speech recognition for listeners with hearing loss. PUBLIC HEALTH RELEVANCE: The proposed research is relevant to public health because it address the communication difficulties experienced by individuals with hearing loss. Specifically, the goal of this project is to advance the optimization of hearing aid amplification.